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(No Model.)

M. P. BRAY.

CORSET CLASP. No. 377,232. Patented'Jan. 31, 1888.

UNrre TATES MORRIS P. BRAY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO MAYER, STROUSE & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

CO RS ET-C LAS P.

SPECIFICATION forming, part of Letters Patent No. 377,232, dated January 31, 1888.

Serial No. 127,308.

(No model.)

To aZZ 10740727, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mortars P. BRAY, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Corset-Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a sectional view of one busk,showing the stud attached; Fig. 2, a face view of the other busk, showing the eye attached; Fig. 3, a sectional side view; Fig. 4, a transverse section of modification; Fig. 5, asectional side view; Fig. 6, a transverse section of the second modification.

This invention relates to an improvement in fastening devices for corsets, and particularly to that class in which the part of the bush on one side is provided with sheet-metal eyes, and the other with headed studs, the eye constructed with a slot extending from near the busk forward, the rear end of the slot enlarged, so as to pass over the head of the stud 0n the other part, and then the narrower part of the slot drawn onto the stud below the head, and which is the clasp most commonly used for corsets, the object of my invention being to prevent accidental detachment of the eye from the stud; and my invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, andparticularly recited in the claim.

A, Fig. 2, represents the steel or busk, to which the eye B is attached in the usual manner. This eye is constructed with an opening, a, near the busk, in diameter a little larger than the head of the stud, and from this a slot, 1), extends forward in width slightly larger than the diameter of the body of the stud. At the forward end the slot is enlarged, as at d, in diameter considerably larger than the width of the slot 6, but less than the diameter of the head of the stud. C is the other steel or busk to which the usual headed stud, e, is attached in the usual manner. Around the body of the stud is a wire helical spring, f, which stands between the head and the busk, as seen in Fig. 1. This spring should be wound slightly open, or a little shorter than the distance between the head and the busk, its diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the enlarged opening (I. The eye is placed over the stud in the usual manner, the head 6 passing through the large opening a until the slot bis below the head. Then the eye is drawn onto the stud in the usual manner. The rear ends of the sides of the slot strike between the convolutions of the springf and force them asunder, so as to permit the eye to pass on, and so soon as the slot has passed onto the stud to bring the enlarged opening (1 around the stud the spring closes into that opening and there stands as a resistance to prevent the return of the clasp, for the reason that some force is necessary to return the eye. That force being applied, the forward ends of the slot strike between the convolutions and open the spring to permit the slot to pass beyond the stud, and so as to bring the enlargement a to the head for the removal; but this force is such as to prevent the possibility of accidental disengagement.

\Vhile I prefer to make the spring of a helical character, it may be made in the form of a split tube, as seen in Figs. 3and 4, the tube corresponding in length to the length of the stud below the head, or so as to give slight play, its internal diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the stud, its external diameter substantially that of the enlarged open ing (Z in the eye. Then as the eye is drawn upon the stud it will compress the tubular spring to such an extent as to permit the narrow part b of the slot to pass it, and then so soon as the enlarged portion d reaches the spring it will expand into that opening to prevent accidental return. In this case the body of the stud will be made slightly less in diameter, in order that the diameter of the spring may be such as to permit the passage of the narrower part of the slot; or the under side of the head may be made inverted, frustum-ofcone shape, as seen in Fig. 5, and the spring in shape of a concavo-convex disk, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6. In passing the eye over this spring it depresses the spring away from the head, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 5, and when arrived at the enlarged opening (I the reaction of the spring will force the eye up onto the head, so as to make engagement therewith.

The spring is applied when the stud is secured to the bush, and is not'as liable to deextending forward therefrom in Width slightly rangement as springs which are attached to or larger than the diameter of the body of the made a part of the eye. stud, the said slot enlarged at its forward end I claim-- to a diameter substantially that of the sleeve 15 The stud 6, attached to one busk, asleeve, f, on the stud, and substantially as and for the thereon made from several convolutions of purpose described. wire, but of less diameter than the head, and free for longitudinal movement thereon, eom bined'with an eye attached to the other husk, the said eye constructed with an opening for the passage of the head of the stud, and a slot MORRIS P.-BRAY.

Witnesses: J os. O. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

